Fair Oaks Post 383 first baseman Chris Borcich gathers in the throw at first base just ahead of Southside runner Mike Pope in the fifth inning of Fair Oaks 16-1 baseball win over Southside on July 10 at William Land Park Photo by Joe Blenkle
Fair Oaks Post 383 heads to division playoffs
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 17, 1991 edition of The Orangevale News)
    The playoff bound Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team cemented its position atop the American Division standings this past week by winning three of four games to close out the regular season.
    Wednesday, July 10, Fair Oaks played Southside at William Land Park, clubbing the opposition 16-1. Post 383 jumped all over Southside starting pitcher Alan Fernandez, scoring six runs in the first inning to take a 6-0 advantage. With one out, shortstop Brent Massoth started things off with a hit to center field. First baseman Mat Erwin followed with a two-run home run to left center field to give Fair Oaks a 2-0 lead. Right
American Legion - Post 383
Date Opponent Score
6/1 Charles Eggen W, 4-0
6-1 Charles Eggen L, 8-4
6-2 Charles Eggen W, 7-6
6-4 @ Post 61 W, 12-11
6-8 Roseville W, 10-7
6-8 Roseville W, 4-3
6-9 Roseville W, 18-6
6-12 Auburn W, 8-4
6-15 El Dorado W, 8-3
6-15 El Dorado W, 6-3
6-16 El Dorado L, 11-8
6-19 Elk Grove W, 8-6
6-22 Haggin Grant W, 15-1
6-22 Haggin Grant W, 10-9
6-23 Haggin Grant W, 17-10
6-26 W. Sacramento W, 8-7
6-29 Yolo-Post 77 L, 7-2
6-29 Yolo-Post 77 L, 4-3
6-30 Yolo-Post 77 W, 5-0
7-3 Kennedy-Valley W, 8-6
7-6 Citrus Heights W, 10-7
7-6 Citrus Heights W, 16-0
7-7 Citrus Heights L, 9-6
7-10 Southside W, 16-1
7-13 Cordova L, 3-2
7-13 Cordova W, 10-4
7-14 Cordova W, 11-7
OVERALL: 21-6    LEAGUE: 21-6
fielder Chris Borcich then got a hit to right fieid. Center fielder Brion Casper followed, drilling a shot to left field that rolled past the Southside outfielder. Borcich was able to score on the play, making it 3-0, with Casper taking third base. Casper scored to make it 4-0, as left fielder Mark Haley hit a ground ball to shortstop for the second out of the inning. Catcher Scott Howard followed with a single to left field, taking third as third baseman Eric McDowell lined a single into center field. Pitcher Brett Rapozo drove in both Howard and McDowell with another hit to center field, making it a 6-0 game.
    Second baseman Trace Coquillette and Massoth folowed with consecutive walks to load the bases, but the inning ended as Erwin hit a ground ball to second to force Massoth. Fair Oaks sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning.
    Post 383 added a single run in the third inning as Howard led off the inning with a walk. McDowell hit into a double play to erase himself and Howard, but then Dale Natividad got a hit into left field to keep the inning alive.
    Coquillette and Massoth followed, both reaching base after being hit by pitches. With the bases loaded, Erwin walked to force in Natividad from third, giving Fair Oaks a 7-0 lead. Southside scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning as Fernandez led off with a hit to left field off Natividad, who started the inning as the new Fair Oaks pitcher.
    With center fielder Mike Pope at the plate, Natividad tried picking Fernandez off first, but a bad throw allowed Fernandez to take second. Pope then hit a grounder to third, but the ball was misplayed allowing him to reach first, and allowing Fernandez to take third. Fernandez scored as shortstop Zane Madrigal hit into a double play, making the score 7-1.
    Natividad got out of the inning as the next batter hit a ground ball to shortstop, with the throw going to first for the out.
    Fair Oaks scored another eight runs in the top of the fourth inning as Casper led things off with a hit to right field. With Haley at the plate, Casper stole second. Southside's pitcher tried picking Casper off second, but the throw went into center field and Casper went to third. Haley eventually walked, followed by a walk to Howard, as well, to load the bases. Nick Whitehead came in to pitch for Southside, but he met with limited success, as well, as he walked McDowell to force in Casper, and then gave up a double to Natividad to score Haley and Howard to make it a 10-1 game.
    Coquillette walked to load the bases, and then Massoth followed with a hit to left field, scoring McDowell. Erwin flew to center field scoring Natividad and then Borcich got a hit to right field to score Coquillette, making it a 13-1 game.
    Casper doubled to center field to drive in Massoth and Borcich and then Haley hit a ball to third that went under the third baseman's glove sending Casper to third.
    Howard was hit by a pitch to load the bases again prompting another Southside pitching change. Then McDowell, the 13th batter of the inning, grounded into a double play to end the inning.
    Fair Oaks added its 16th run in the top of the sixth inning as Erwin led off with a hit to center field and Borcich followed with a hit to left field. With one out, Haley got a hit to right field, scoring Erwin to make it a 16-1 game.
    Fair Oaks pounded out 15 hits in the game, while six Post 383 pitchers combined to give up only four hits to Southside.
    Saturday, Fair Oaks split a doubleheader with Rancho Cordova, losing the first contest 3-2, before coming back to win the second, 10-4.
    Sunday, Fair Oaks faced Cordova again in a single contest played at Bella Vista High School. Trailing until late in the game, Post 383 staged a late-inning comeback to win the game 11-7.
    Cordova took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a three-run home run, but Fair Oaks came back in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. Erwin and Massoth singled, and Borcich walked to load the bases. Natividad then doubled to drive in both Erwin and Massoth for the two runs.
    Fair Oaks tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, as McDowell got a two out hit to right field. Erwin then doubled off the left field fence to score McDowell to make it a 3-3 game.
    Cordova went back in the lead in the top of the fifth, however, scoring four times to make it a 7-3 contest.
    In the bottom of the sixth inningFair Oaks crept back to within one run, scoring three times to make it a 7-6 game.
&bsp;   Casper led off the inning with a single to right field, but was erased as Coquillette hit a grounder to shortstop. With McDowell at the plate, Cordova's pitcher balked Coquillette to second and Coquillette later took third on a ball that was dropped by the catcher. McDowell then got a hit to right field to score Coquillette, making it a 7-4 game. With two outs, Borcich homered over the right field fence, scoring McDowell ahead of himself, for a 7-6 game.
    Fair Oaks tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh inning as Matt Borcich got a one out double to left field. Howard followed with a hit to left, sending Matt Borcich to third, and he scored as Haley hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it a 7-7 game. Fair Oaks finally took the lead in the bottom of the eight inning, scoring four times for an 11-7 advantage.
    McDowell led off the inning with a double to right field. With one out, Chris Borcich walked, and Massoth was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Natividad was the next batter, and he also was hit by a pitch, forcing McDowell in to make it an 8-7 game and keeping the bases loaded.
    Chris Kurtz went in to run for Natividad, and then Matt Borcich followed with a hit to right field, scoring Chris Borcich. Massoth scored on a fly to right field by Howard making it a 10-7 game. Haley then hit a grounder deep to shortstop beating the throw to first and Kurtz scored to make it an 11-7 game.
    Fair Oaks ended its regular season with a 21-6 record, putting it on top of the American Legion American Division. Post 383 now heads to the District 6 American Legion playoffs and will receive a first-round bye.
    Fair Oaks will open its quest for the championship on Thursday in a 2:30 p.m. game at Clark Field in Woodland. The championship series will run through Sunday, July 21.
    Also slated for Sunday at Clark Field is the American Legion All-Star game beginning at 7 p.m. Fair Oaks will be represented by Chris Borcich, Erwin, Massoth, Haley, Howard and McDowell.
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